The Scent of Jasmine
by destiny921
Summary: Echizen Reika gives up on tennis after her mother's death and chooses to pursue music instead…in Hyotei Gakuen. A story of acceptance and understanding, forgiveness and love. Fem!Ryoma
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **Echizen Reika gives up on tennis after her mother's death and chooses to pursue music instead…in Hyotei Gakuen. A story of acceptance and understanding, forgiveness and love. Fem!Ryoma

NOTE: For story purposes, Echizen Reika will be a second-year. Also, please note that this is **semi-AU** as it is **set in high school.**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Prince of Tennis.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: The Prodigy's Heartstrings<strong>

"_I dance on a wire_

_I don't want to fail her_

_I walk against the stream_

_Far from what I believe in."_

_- 'Lost' by Within Temptation -_

"Kaa-san…"

With a lowered head, tears spilled down porcelain cheeks – memories flashing into the mind like the flickering of a flaming candle, a cycle of 'now you see it, now you don't' starting to play.

So many precious moments, intertwined with the gossamer thin thread and woven throughout time – with the one person who had supported and encouraged her so much, helped her so much, sacrificed so much – but most of all, gave birth to her and loved her unconditionally, whole-heartedly…

_How could she be gone?_

Echizen Reika let out a sob as the priest finished speaking then. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she looked up to see familiar hazel eyes.

"Nii-san," She choked out as she buried her face into her elder brother's chest. "Why…?"

Letting out a heavy sigh, Ryoga pulled her into a hug, stroking his sister's hair gently as she cried. As the sound of approaching footsteps was heard, he ignored it, knowing who it was.

Soon, all three Echizen's were in an embrace.

How long they were there, they did not know. As the morning sun dimmed, turning into a sunset of streaks of reds and orange, ribbons of pink and yellow, light illuminated the etchings of the intricate gravestone.

_Echizen Rinko_

_Age 36_

_Loving mother and beautiful wife_

**==XXXXXX==**

_A couple of months ago in America…_

"I'm running late…" Came a mutter.

Echizen Rinko, wife of the Samurai Nanjiroh and mother of two children by the name of Ryoga and Reika was on her way to a tennis tournament. One that her only daughter that was Reika was participating in. She was extremely proud of both of them, though she occasionally wished that her daughter would focus on her musical skills instead. Still, as long as they did what made them happy…

Remembering the times where she would play the violin made the attorney smile. Eventhough they didn't say it aloud, Rinko knew well that Ryoga and Nanjiroh loved Reika's music. Nanako often complimented her on her music when she came over.

So deep she was in her thoughts that she did not hear the warning.

"Look out!"

And there was darkness.

"I'm sorry," The doctor spoke wearily, exhaustion coating his tone.

_Gone._

Rinko was gone.

The woman he loved was gone.

Forever.

Echizen Nanjiroh put his head in his hands, shaking. How would he do it? How could he live? She had always been his greatest strength, the light of his life. Each and every moment, every minute, hour and day – how could he have taken it, taken her for granted? There would be only memories now. Just memories.

"Jii-san."

He slowly looked up to see his niece, Nanako Meino in front of him. Her face was pale and tear-streaked, a hesitant expression on her face as she took a trembling breath and spoke.

"Ryoga and Reika…" She paused before continuing, "T-they need you too."

Ryoga. His son.

Reika. His daughter.

He had almost forgotten about them…

Taking a deep breath, the Samurai gathered his composure. Now was not the time.

He had children who needed him.

**==XXXXXX==**

Arrangements for Rinko to be buried in Japan had been made as she had loved that place more than America, not to mention that it was her true home in the first place. The Echizen family would be moving there permanently as well. America was too much for them at the moment, overwhelming – they needed a fresh start.

It was the youngest Echizen that worried them all, however. She had stopped playing tennis, and instead spent time playing the violin instead. Often practicing for several hours, replaying the Echizen matriarch's favourite pieces; the thing was, everyone knew that she loved tennis more than music.

And yet…

Both Nanjiroh and Ryoga were in a deep discussion when Reika came in.

Ryoga was the first one to notice her presence and broke off from the conversation. He made his way over and ruffled her hair much to her annoyance, "Yo, chibisuke."

"Stop it, baka aniki," She muttered exasperatedly, though a tiny smile appeared.

Nanjiroh watched the two, not bothering to hide the amusement on his face. The former tennis pro cleared his throat, "So what is it, chibi-chan?"

"About Japan…" Reika paused, clearly hesitating. "I…I want to go to Hyotei. For its music program…"

Silence. Clearly, it had taken them both off-guard.

Reika shifted her feet nervously, waiting. Her brother spoke first.

"And tennis?" Ryoga prompted gently as he exchanged glances with his father, clearly remembering _her_ love of Reika's music. She wasn't the only one though, both he and his father loved Reika's music as well. It was just the fact that Reika loved tennis more than music, and thus had chosen to pursue tennis instead though she occasionally did play her instrument.

"I don't know…" Her voice trailed off, fading into a whisper.

Nanjiroh wanted desperately to stop her, to persuade her to not make this decision. It was selfish of him, he knew. But he had given up so much for her already – the Grand Slam title, his dream and everything else and now she wanted to _stop_ –

But she was still his _daughter_. To be honest, he had never seen her looking so lost, so uncertain of herself before. She had always been confident and strong-willed, never letting anything get in her way – until Rinko's death.

So as much as he hated it, as much as he wanted to shake her out of it, he would let her.

With a reluctant sigh, Echizen Nanjiroh stepped towards his daughter and pulled her into a rare hug. No jokes. No goofing around.

Reika stiffened slightly before relaxing in her father's arms. It had been a long time since she let him hug her (as usually he would glomp, not hug) and vice-versa. And it was nice.

Letting go after a couple of moments, Nanjiroh then mustered a mock-pout and started complaining.

"Well, then, Hyotei, eh? I hear they're full of rich - " The eldest Echizen never got to finish his sentence as a pillow hit him square in the face.

The atmosphere lightened, the tension dissolving and crumbling into nothing.

Sputtering, golden eyes scanned the room and found a smirking Ryoga.

"You – come back here!" Nanjiroh started chasing after his son.

As he fended off their enraged father, Ryoga winked at his younger sister, causing her to giggle.

The youngest Echizen shook her head in fond exasperation. Truly, she loved them dearly – not that she would tell them out loud.

"Age getting to you, old man?"

"I'm not old!"

Shaking her head to get rid of her thoughts, the sole female Echizen joined them in the fray.

After all, if you can't beat'em, join'em.

"Eat this, nii-san!"

"Aren't you supposed to be on my side?!"

**==XXXXXX==**

_Back to the present…_

_Beep beep! Beep beep!_

A hand darted out from between the bed-sheets, hitting the 'off' button of the alarm clock accurately.

With a small yawn, Echizen Reika stretched her arms and got out of bed. She had gotten into the habit of waking up early after her mother's death, often not being able to sleep. But the move to Japan had taken a lot out of her, hence her surprising (but refreshing and much-needed) sleep.

The slender girl took a quick shower and dressed herself in the Hyotei uniform. After pulling her green-tinted black hair into a messy ponytail with a ribbon hair-tie, she grabbed her bag and headed down the stairs.

Pausing at the scent of food in the air, a nostalgic smile made its way onto her face. It had always been her mother who cooked, but now…

'_It's your fault. All your fault.'_ A voice whispered in her mind.

'_No…it's not. It's not…!'_ Shoving it into the deepest corner of her mind, Reika looked down to see that she was trembling slightly. It wasn't the first time that it had happened. She knew it was irrational of her, but she couldn't help feeling guilty that she was responsible for her mother's death, in a way. With a shaky sigh, the female Echizen gathered her composure and took a deep breath.

"Good morning," Entering the kitchen, she greeted her father who was reading a (surprise, surprise) newspaper and Nanako who was cooking. As per routine, she dropped her bag onto an empty chair and tended to Karupin first before helping make breakfast.

"Morning," Ryoga entered with a sleepy yawn, bag slung over his shoulder.

"Morning!" Nanako greeted brightly. "Your bentos are over there," The tall girl nodded in the direction where two nicely-wrapped bentos sat on the counter, smiling when they gave her their thanks.

Nanjiroh's greeting was muffled behind the paper, causing both siblings to roll their eyes and Nanako to sigh in exasperation.

Breakfast ended soon enough and the two siblings set off.

**==XXXXXX==**

_In Hyotei Gakuen_

"Kami, how huge is this place?" Reika twitched as she scanned her surroundings for her classroom. Ryoga had dropped her off earlier before taking off on his own towards university.

While her sense of direction was decent, the place was just too huge.

Frowning, she glanced down at her schedule again.

"Class 2-A, class 2-A…" muttered Reika as she looked around again before spotting a sign near the stairs and resisted the urge to facepalm.

'_I cannot believe I was on the wrong level this whole time… Nii-san and tou-san would never let me hear the end of this…_' She made a mental note to never mention this at home. Ever.

Finally reaching the front of her classroom, the girl rapped on the door lightly before sliding it open and made her way towards the homeroom teacher.

"Excuse me. I'm the new transfer student…" Reika said with a small bow - ignoring the burst of whispers at the last sentence.

The homeroom teacher raised an eyebrow, "I see… Well, welcome to Hyotei Gakuen. I am your homeroom teacher and am to be addressed as Yamada-sensei or Sensei. Because you are new, I will let you off for being late this one time. Is that clear?"

"Hai."

"Good. Now, take a seat."

Homeroom proceeded smoothly then, with brief introductions and overview of the subjects covered by Hyotei. Subjects were divided into two categories – "specialized" and "general". Second years were allowed to choose electives consisting of music, calligraphy, art, computer science, foreign languages and more. The first sign of a student's performance dropping would involve a warning. If the student's performance was to continue dropping, the student's parents would then be brought in. And lastly, expulsion. As it was – three strikes, and you're out. Punishments, on the other hand, varied depending on the seriousness of offences.

Reika let out a sigh of relief as it was finally lunch break. She had been constantly stared at and talked about throughout class, and it was grating on her nerves.

"Sooo, you're Reika, right?"

She looked up to see a brunette male with light grey eyes armed with a friendly grin.

"Yes. Echizen Reika. And you are…?"

_Bonk!_

"Ow-ow-ow!"

"Haru! What did I tell you just now?" A girl with darker brown hair and same light grey eyes huffed, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"That hurt, Hikari!" The male whined.

"You deserved it," Muttering under her breath, Hikari turned and smiled at her.

"Sorry about that. This is my idiot twin brother, Haru. I'm Hikari. Our last name is Miyamoto."

Amused, Reika shook her head, "No problem. My name's Echizen Reika."

Haru by now had recovered from the pain inflicted by his beloved twin and spoke, "Anyway, Hikari was wondering – ow – alright, _I_ was – damn it, woman!" He yelped. "Fine, _we_ were wondering if you'd like to join us for lunch."

Stifling her laughter, the golden-eyed girl agreed.

**==XXXXXX==**

It had been a couple of days since she had started at Hyotei and became fast friends with the twins Haru and Hikari who were also her classmates. Both of them were equally outgoing and vivacious. Though, Haru tended to be more hyper and impulsive compared to Hikari who was more level-headed and rational.

Reika let out a sigh. Club selections were coming up soon, and she was troubled. While she had set her sights on the music club despite knowing that Hyotei had a tennis club…

"Ow…"

Rubbing her head, she looked around and realized that she had actually walked into a tree. Reika sighed – she really needed to stop thinking too much. Scanning her surroundings again, an exasperated groan escaped her.

She was lost. Again.

Where she stood was quite stunning though – an averagely small clearing surrounded by cherry blossom and peony trees, and bursts of star-white lilies decorated the evergreen grass.

Unconsciously relaxing, a soft smile made its way onto her face as she momentarily took in the peaceful silence. A light breeze rustled the leaves, and a familiar scent wafted through.

It was the scent of jasmine.

Her mother's favourite flower.

"I miss you," Reika whispered as the feeling in her chest tightened, tears welling up in her eyes.

As if she wasn't in control, her hands moved to take out her violin. Haru had badgered her into bringing it after finding out that she played the instrument.

"This is for you…kaa-san…"

Closing her eyes and feeling the familiar wood pressing against her neck, she let her fingers play.

**==XXXXXX==**

The tennis regulars of Hyotei had paused in their movements as the sound of violin could be heard. Now, as Hyotei was an elitist school, everyone was used to hearing music even after school periods. But this…this was _different._

It was light and melodious, and yet each note, as it progressed, weaved and became a melody seemingly not from this world. Depicting a tale of bittersweet light and snow, the sharp staccatos, the rising and falling of the pitch and volume that were masterfully done – they were raw intensity in itself, filled with heart-breaking emotion.

There were no words to describe it but 'beautifully heart-wrenching'.

His curiosity peaked; Atobe Keigo gracefully rose from his seat and started to walk, snapping his fingers, "Kabaji."

"Usu," The giant nodded and obediently followed the tennis captain. Realizing the unbidden command, the others exchanged glances and fell into step behind the two. Well, except for the still sleeping Akutagawa Jirou, that is.

Eventually, the regulars came upon a clearing where the music was loudest.

Apparently, it was a petite girl with dark hair that was tinted with emerald green dressed in the female's version of the Hyotei uniform. Her fingers moved fluidly over the instrument, the other stroking the bow – playing it as if it was an extension of her body. As the song finally came to a stop, her eyes opened – revealing golden irises that seemed to shimmer under the light of the sun.

Her eyes widened in surprise at seeing the unexpected crowd. All of them were dressed in sports attire – obviously, they had been training, she deduced and opened her mouth to speak when she was cut off by the dark-haired male who had a mole standing in the front.

"You. What is your name?"

His tone was completely and utterly arrogant. A flare of…_something_ – annoyance, she supposed burst out, and she fired back a retort instantly.

"Did you ever learn some manners? You're supposed to introduce yourself first or ask _politely_," Reika rolled her eyes as she packed her violin inside her case from the ground.

Atobe twitched at the girl's response. Behind him, he could hear Choutaro trying to calm Gakuto and Shishido who were both snickering – he made a mental note to double the two's training regimens for a week. He wouldn't be surprised if Oshitari was enjoying this (_definitely _laps around the court for him tomorrow). Wakato was, on the other hand, as stoic as ever.

"Well?" She asked, raising an eyebrow as she slung her bag over her shoulders and lifted up her violin case.

"Atobe Keigo," He finally muttered.

"What about the rest of you?" Reika inquired with interest. She wondered what sport they played…

"Mukahi Gakuto."

"Shishido Ryo."

"Ootori Choutarou."

"Hiyoshi Wakato."

"Oshitari Yuushi. The one beside Keigo is Kabaji. Last but not least, Jirou – who is…somewhat of a sleeper and not here at the moment," Oshitari – a bespectacled blue-haired male said.

"Nice to meet all of you… My name's -"

A cell-phone rang.

"_It's feeling like the time's run out,  
>But the hour glass, just flipped itself over again,<br>The sun is slowly sinking down…"_

"Sorry," She muttered as she answered her phone. "Hello?"

"Chibisuke, where are you? You were supposed to be home an hour ago!"

Reika cringed as her brother started to rant.

"Yes, I'm still in school."

"No, I'm not kidnapped or whatsoever."

"Yes, I'm alright!"

"Fine, fine, I'll be home soon."

Finally finishing the call, Reika sighed in relief, glanced around and froze. She'd completely forgotten that they were still there. And they had heard the entire phone call.

It was _so_ not her day.

"Sorry about that. That was my brother," She explained sheepishly. "I got to go."

"I'll see you all around. By the way, the name's Echizen. Echizen Reika." With a wave, she dashed off, leaving behind an amused and slightly bewildered tennis team.

**==XXXXXX==**

Oshitari spoke up first.

"Well, that was interesting."

"She seems nice..." Choutarou offered.

"She didn't even know who we were," Shishido said, looking faintly amused.

The red-haired acrobat of the team grinned mischievously, "Not even Atobe-buchou."

At this, all of them stifled their chuckles and glanced at their captain who snapped, "What?"

"Really, Keigo," Oshitari chided, laughter in his eyes. "You shouldn't sulk. It's quite unbecoming."

"..."

"Shut up, Yuushi."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** Oh wow. Just. Wow. I never expected this much of a response when I started this fic ^^;; But thanks so much for all your support and, well, just being amazing . I'm just overwhelmed. Sorry for the long wait. This chapter, especially the beginning, went through _a lot_ of rewrites either because a) I wasn't satisfied and/or b) it didn't seem right.

IMPORTANT: For story purposes, Echizen Reika will be a second-year. Also, please note that this is **semi-AU** as it is **set in high school.**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Prince of Tennis.

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><p><em>"And so she walked down these hallowed halls,<em>

_Indifferent to the gazes,_

_Unperturbed by the masses."_

**Chapter 2: The Halls of Hyotei**

**A**tobe Keigo was intrigued.

It was not often that new students come to Hyotei, much less _transfer _or come from abroad.

He knew he'd heard of the name 'Echizen' somewhere before. But it wasn't until he woke up and completed his morning ritual that he finally placed the name, realized that it was _her –_ Echizen Reika, daughter of the tennis pro Samurai Nanjiro. Not only that, but she herself was a tennis prodigy and had won several tennis tournaments overseas.

Checking his appearance critically in the mirror (he _was_ an Atobe), he wondered why she chose Hyotei.

While Hyotei was the best – ignoring the little voice in his head that whispered 'Seigaku' – school in the Tokyo region, it was well-known that almost if not the _entire_ school were of the crème de la crème. Academics and co-curricular activities-wise, the students' accomplishments within the school spoke for themselves. In terms of wealth, almost the entire student body was either from old money - families with long-established legacies (like his), new money, or a mixture of both.

However, this meant the omnipresence of the social ladder.

The status quo.

And Atobe knew all too well how one little thing could affect other things, like how a ripple did to a lake.

He wondered how her presence would affect Hyotei.

It was bound to be interesting.

**==XXXXXX==**

**_M_**_eanwhile, in the Echizen residence…_

It was a perfectly ordinary morning.

Well, as ordinary it could get for a particular Echizen household, anyway.

"Aghhh!"

A yelp escaped one Echizen Reika as her sleep was rudely interrupted by a douse of ice cold water. Golden eyes narrowed at the male holding a now-empty pail with a grin on his face.

"Nii-san…_what _was that for?" She glared dangerously at her brother.

"Now, now, chibisuke," sweatdropped Ryoga as he tried to placate her, taking a step back at the glare. "You wouldn't wake up, so our dear dad suggested this." Ryoga shrugged before tapping a finger on his chin thoughtfully. _'Sorry, tou-san, but I'm not going to - '_

"Oh is that so?" Her eye twitched. "So I suppose that means tou-san was also responsible for all those times, I see."

_'Crap.'_

"Karupin…" Reika called the Himalayan cat over, glare still fixed on her brother. The elder sibling froze for a moment before quickly leaving the room with a hasty, "See you, chibisuke!"

_"_Annoy both of them. The whole day."

"Meow!"

**==XXXXXX==**

**A**s she strode down the hallway, she could feel the inquisitive gazes and hear intense bouts of whispering around her. Out of the corner of her eyes, Reika noted that some of them were silent and observing, a few quietly talking to each other in groups. It seemed that her presence in Hyotei was still somewhat of an issue, not that she cared all that much.

"Echizen Reika," A cool voice came, breaking her out of her thoughts.

It was a tall, blonde-haired girl with piercing green eyes that stood in front of her. There was something…off-putting about her, something that made the female Echizen cautious and wary.

"Yes?" Reika raised an eyebrow, unfazed at the attention that they were garnering.

"I am Tsukino Miyako," The newly-introduced Tsukino Miyako smiled, a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "The captain of the girls' tennis team. I would like you to join us."

Immediately, the hallway fell silent.

_Tennis… _

"I'm afraid I have to decline," Reika responded, her gaze turning _slightly_ piercing.

For several moments, the two were at a standstill, both of them unwilling to back down.

And then, Tsukino dipped her head slightly, giving a small nod.

"Very well," she acquiesced. Was that…_respect_ in her eyes?

With that, the blonde gracefully turned on her heel to leave, but not before parting words.

"Good luck, Echizen Reika."

**==XXXXXX==**

_Lunch-time_

"Hey Reika, I heard you had a run-in with the girls' tennis captain today," commented Hikari off-handedly as she took a bite out of her bento. Beside her, Haru stiffened slightly – something which the hazel-eyed girl noted but didn't remark on. Inwardly though, she wondered why he reacted like that.

Reika nodded as she sipped at her Ponta, "Yeah. Tsukino Miyako," she recalled the earlier part of today. It had been strange, to say the least, and the incident had left her a little uneasy though she didn't show it.

"So what did she want from you?" the female brunette inquired. Haru, on the other hand, was strangely silent though he appeared to be listening as well.

Giving a nonchalant shrug, she answered, "She wanted me to join the tennis team. I said no."

The twins exchanged meaningful looks before turning back to her, amused expressions on their faces.

"What?"

"Hikari?" Haru poked his sister in the side, smiling unrepentantly when she shot him a glare.

Reika coughed lightly, inwardly amused.

"Right. Anyway…" The grey-eyed female trailed off. "What do you know about her family?"

"What? Why am I supposed to know about her family?" Reika asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion. What on earth were they getting at?

Haru almost choked but managed to hurriedly swallow his food before starting to laugh.

On the other hand, Hikari looked half-amused and half-exasperated.

"Okay, let's start from the beginning. What do you know about Hyotei?"

"It's a school," deadpanned the female Echizen.

Haru started laughing harder, clutching at his sides. Hikari's lips twitched as she restrained herself from joining her sibling.

"Right, but…." The brunette female launched into a brief explanation about the student politics, the power-plays, the…

When she finished, silence reined for several moments.

"So… I'm basically in a minefield of all… this."

Reika could feel a headache, most probably the starting of more, coming.

"Yep," The twins chorused, looking thoroughly entertained at her reaction.

Great.

**==XXXXXX==**

_Hyotei library…_

"**S**o she turned your request down, then," remarked a familiar male's voice laced with slight amusement.

"Oshitari-san," Tsukino gave a slight tilt of her head to signify that she heard him as she packed up the last of her things. There was ten more minutes before lunch break was over, but the jade-eyed girl wanted to borrow some books for reading.

"Was there more to it?"

At that, the blonde turned to face the navy blue-haired male who had a romance novel in hand.

Oshitari Yuushi. Known as Hyotei's tensai and 'Man of 1000 Techniques' (how people came up with that _ridiculous_ moniker was beyond her), he was also a tennis regular and Atobe's unofficial right-hand man. His family was a prestigious one, and especially well-known in the world of medicine.

"Not at all," she smiled thinly. "I requested for her to join the team, and she turned it down. Nothing more and nothing less."

He raised an eyebrow, "I find it difficult that _you_ of all people would allow that."

The female team's captain merely shrugged, knowing it was true.

"Be as it may, that _is_ what happened. What are _you_ going to do, then?" He knew what she was doing. She was, albeit indirectly inquiring if he, well more like Atobe – was going to try and recruit the female Echizen for the male tennis team.

Giving an enigmatic smile, the Hyotei genius tucked his novel inside his pocket. "Who knows…"

**==XXXXXX==**

**E**chizen Reika stifled a yawn as their teacher spoke. It had been a long day, and the nuggets of information that Hikari and Haru had given during lunch had not helped in the least. Not to mention the confrontation with Tsukino Miyako, the captain of the girls' tennis team.

_Kaa-san…_

"…Your assignment," Sakaki Tarou, their music teacher paused as his stern gaze swept across the room. "Is to create a medley – an arrangement of consisting of various music pieces. You are only allowed to use pieces from the Baroque period until the twentieth century."

Immediately, the girl perked up and listened intently – pushing away her thoughts.

"All of you will have a month to complete this. The duration given is due to the complexity of the assignment itself." Sakaki-sensei pinned them with a stern look. "It is worth fifteen percent of your grade."

Reika twitched.

"You are to submit the arrangement's music sheets to me _personally_ on the due date. And, it is important to note that you will be_ presenting _your medley on the day itself as well so do not forget to practise. The time limit is fifteen minutes."

"Now, as this is a pair assignment, I have taken the liberty of breaking you down into pairs," He announced, eliciting a few whisperings and muttered groans. Sending a glare, the class became silent and attentive within seconds.

Taking a thick, opened notebook rimmed with gold from the top of his desk, he began reading out the names.

"Akiyama Retsu, Takashi Ren."

"Ayasaka Hitomi, Natsume Koda."

"Byakuren Ryu, Takara Michiru."

And so it went on, until –

"Echizen Reika, Ootori Choutarou."

It seemed that the class was going to descend into (slight) chaos again, until their teacher's eyes narrowed in warning.

No one spoke.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned Echizen was attempting to figure out who Ootori Choutarou was. The name sounded slightly familiar. Still, she couldn't quite place it. Hmm…

The bell rang then, signaling the end of class. Thank Kami it was her last class for the day.

She had started packing up her things when the sound of footsteps approached.

"Ah…Echizen-san?"

Reika looked up from her desk to see a rather familiar-looking male with short, silvery-grey hair and brown eyes. A silver cross necklace was settled around his neck. It took her another moment before she realized who he was.

"You're… Ootori Choutarou, right?" She asked for confirmation. Receiving a nod, the girl smiled, "Just call me Reika. I lived most of my life in America, so I'm not one for suffixes."

"But - "

"Reika-san then," she compromised as she saw his protesting expression. "Is that okay?"

He nodded, looking slightly relieved.

"I was wondering when we could discuss the assignment," he explained.

"What about tomorrow, after school?" She suggested.

Choutarou shook his head, "I have tennis practice."

Reika froze for a moment before quickly regaining control of herself, "So you're a tennis player?"

His face brightened, "Hai. I'm a regular on the team, and so are the others. You've met them before."

Wait…that meant that…

Realization slammed into her as she realized that the group she had met the day prior was a group of tennis players. Not only that, but the regulars of the Hyotei team.

She forced back her thoughts and returned to the conversation, "I see. Well, when are you free then? I haven't joined any clubs yet, so my schedule's clear at the moment." It was true. Honestly, she was still having conflicting doubts though she hadn't told her brother or father about it, much less anyone.

"I have…"

A few minutes later, they finally came to a decision. They would meet up on Friday after school finished. It was currently Wednesday, so this meant that the both of them would have two days to look up music pieces and such.

The two had just finished exchanging contacts when a thought came to the female Echizen's mind.

"That reminds me…what instrument do you play?" She inquired curiously. "You already know I play the violin."

"The piano," answered Choutarou just as a ring-tone sounded in the background.

The silver-grey haired male picked up his phone, answering the call. Reika stifled her laughter as colour drained from his face and he made multiple apologies to the person on the receiving end.

Finally finishing the call, an apologetic expression on his features, he gave a small bow. "My apologies, Reika-san. I have to go now."

Reika shook her head, smiling slightly, "It's fine. I'll see you around."

He returned her smile with one of his own before leaving the room.

_Tennis…_

_Could she?_

With a sigh, the hazel-eyed girl shoved her thoughts away. She proceeded to pack up the last of her stuff, slinging her bag over her shoulder and headed towards the door.

**==XXXXXX==**

"**Y**ou're late," Atobe's voice reprimanded him sharply as he arrived at the courts, beads of sweat lightly dripping down from his forehead.

"Sorry, buchou," Choutarou apologized to the displeased captain. "I was talking to Reika-san about our assignment."

Atobe paused momentarily, and there was a brief flicker of _something_ in his eyes – which Oshitari deduced to be interest – before he drawled, his voice filled with amusement.

"Ore-sama would have thought that you would have known better than to be on the first-name basis so soon. Ne, Kabaji?"

"Usu."

Choutarou sputtered out protests at the smirking captain, causing both Gakuto and Shishido to snicker at the sophomore's reaction. Oshitari looked amused, while Jirou, well, was _Jirou_ and Hiyoshi ignored them, checking the grip of his racquet.

With a smug expression on his face, Atobe then commanded them to go back to practice.

It was at this time, before heading back into the court, that Oshitari opened his water bottle to take a drink and remarked, "You know, she turned down Tsukino's request."

Atobe raised an eyebrow, as if to say, '_Oh?_'

"She didn't pursue it. Surprisingly, she accepted the rejection quite calmly," Oshitari commented as he twisted the cap of his water bottle close.

Interesting.

To have been so calm about it would mean that she respected Echizen. The captain of the girls' tennis team, Tsukino Miyako was well-known in the school for being ruthless and calculating in getting what she wanted, as she was quite ambitious. Not only that, but she was also highly intelligent, being one of the top ten students in Hyotei. Her family owned a chain of news companies – one wrong step would ensure the likelihood of one or multiple reputations being destroyed, credibility included depending on the circumstances.

He knew what Yuushi was asking him.

'_So what are you going to do, Keigo?'_

**==XXXXXX==**

**Time Skip: Friday**

It had been two days since the disclosing of the partnering of the assignment, and it seemed that the whole of Hyotei knew. The gossip had increased, and she had been approached multiple times by people regarding the matter. She didn't understand why it was such a big deal though. It was, after all, just an assignment. Haru and Hikari took great pleasure in teasing her about the situation, much to her chagrin.

Besides that, there was the matter regarding Tsukino Miyako.

Word had gotten out that she was the tennis prodigy from America, resulting in her being constantly hounded by the school's tennis players except the males' tennis regulars, strangely enough. It wasn't just only tennis players though, but other people as well. Yesterday, looking thoroughly amused, Haru informed her that she now had quite a sizable fan club, much to her dismay and annoyance. She simply ignored them though.

Still, the girl wasn't quite sure how she felt about the whole 'tennis' thing.

Did she still love tennis, even after not playing for months?

There was no doubt she did, but…

She was afraid.

It was…stupid and ridiculous and completely irrational of her to feel that way, of course. But every time she touched her racquet she kept getting reminded of her mother. Occasionally, she would get nightmares about her mother's death being her fault… Her father and Ryoga didn't know about this – she didn't want to burden them anymore than she already had, after all.

"Hello, Reika-san," Choutarou's voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"Choutarou," Reika smiled in greeting to her assignment partner.

"Well, shall we?" He nodded in the direction of the gates.

And the two set off towards the music store, discussing which pieces they would use.

"We could use one piece from each period," suggested the girl, a thoughtful expression on her face. "The only problem would be making them flow smoothly from one to another."

Choutarou nodded in agreement as it was true.

Baroque pieces often emphasized on contrast in terms of loudness and softness, and they also used a wide variety of instruments and vocals. Opera was one such example, and concerto for instrumental.

Pieces from the Classical period, on the other hand, focused on structure, and also moods. Classical composers had often sought to bring out shades of emotions in their works.

In the Romantic period, musical harmonies had become more intricate. Tempo, dynamics and pitch by then had several types and the use of _rubato_ (slight expressive freedom) increased. This had resulted in a drastic increase in creative expression.

As for the 20th Century, percussion instruments had been introduced. On top of that, composers had been more willing to experiment with existing musical pieces and reinvent them. Thus, new ways of combining chords and chord structures were used. In summary, the composers of the aforementioned period created their own unique sound.

"Yes, that is true. Unfortunately, this assignment is worth fifteen percent of our grade," said the tennis regular with a rueful smile as they reached the shop, entering it.

"Don't remind me," Reika sighed, muttering something under her breath and making Choutarou stifle a light laugh behind his hand. The two of them started browsing through the shelves.

As he scanned the shelves, Choutarou thought for a bit before speaking, "What about Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons for the first one?"

Her face brightened at the mention at one of her favourite pieces, "That could work. It would be our Baroque piece. And Debussy's Clair de Lune could come after that; it should work well with The Four Seasons: Winter."

"Brahms' Waltz, Opus 39, No.15 as our third piece?"

"Agreed," she immediately spoke. That piece, while short, was a beautifully-written one. "Britten's Simple Symphony Op.4 should wrap it up nicely."

"We have our pieces then," he concluded with a boyish grin. It took them a short while to find the music sheets for their song choices before they proceeded to the cashier where they then got into a bit of an argument regarding payment.

"I'll pay," Choutarou said, pulling out his wallet.

Reika sighed, "This is for an assignment, Choutarou. We can split the cost."

"I insist," He said firmly.

Before she could even _speak_ another word, the tennis regular had turned to face the amused cashier and paid.

As they left the shop, Reika grumbled under her breath exasperatedly, "You know, I still could have paid."

"We will see, Reika-san," Choutarou said in amusement before he glanced at the sky. It wasn't even late afternoon yet.

"It seems that it is still early. Shall we go for lunch?"

The female Echizen shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

"Any specific places?" He inquired as they started walking again.

"Surprise me," said Reika with a grin. "I've only been here for less than a month."

"Very well then," He said, returning her smile.

The two of them strode along in comfortable silence.

"And I'll pay this time."

A chuckle.

"We'll see, Reika-san. We'll see."

**==XXXXXX==**

**R**eika hummed in content as she changed into her pyjamas.

It had been an enjoyable day with Choutarou. He really was quite knowledgeable about music, not to mention that he had the love for it. She was surprised at how fast they came to a decision about which songs to use in the medley – only one day, too. She had expected it to take longer than that.

They had had lunch at a quiet bistro that was a little out of the way. Apparently, he wasn't one for loud or extravagant places. She teased him a little about that after he admitted it.

Yes, she reflected.

It had been a good day.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter 2<strong>

**A/N:** And so it ends with a minor fluff scene. Will the two get together? Oh, who knows. It's still too early to tell. As you can see, Reika's reluctance to go back to tennis is explored more in this chapter. Poor her. That's not even mentioning what's going on in Atobe's head, and the whole thing with the twins and Oshitari and everything! Anyway, I've already started on the third chapter (miracle, it is!).

Oh, and I'm curious - what do you guys think of the twins and Tsukino?

Do leave a review. Reviews are love.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** I am SO sorry about the lateness of this chapter, guys. This one was a _huge _pain to write, because I kept getting stuck half-way. To make up for it though, this is the longest chapter as of yet. Thank you all so much for the reviews, favourites and everything. Feedback & faves are love. Hugs to you all.

**23/7 - **Slight edits made thanks to feedback from senshiHg. So if you've read this chapter already, do take a re-read. It _might_ make more sense to you.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Prince of Tennis.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: In the Depths<strong>

"_I keep running,_

_I keep hiding,_

_Cause I don't want to see…"_

"It's not my fault!"

A scream rang throughout the house.

The moment Echizen Ryoga heard the familiar voice, his eyes snapped open. He scrambled out of his bed, bolting out of his room and sprinted down the hallway. He did not hesitate to dash towards his sister's room.

Slamming the door open, his eyes widened at seeing his sister thrashing on the bed, whimpering. In a flash, he was by her side. He shifted, leaning some of his weight on her to prevent her legs from moving and holding her wrists down to tamper down the rest of her thrashing.

"Chibisuke, can you hear me?" He said urgently as footsteps pounded down from the hallway.

A whimper. Her eyes were still closed; beads of sweat dripped down her face.

"Come on, chibisuke. Wake up," Ryoga said, desperation and fear clenching at his heart.

"Oh my - "

A sharp intake of breath.

"Seishonen?" Nanjiroh's unusually quiet voice came from beside him as he gradually approached the bed.

Her thrashing stopped; her body relaxed onto the sheets - allowing Ryoga to let out a sigh of relief and let go of her wrists. He shifted to a more comfortable position, releasing his weight from her. Pulling up her covers to tuck her in properly, he then started stroking her head, occasionally running his hand through her hair to gently calm her down more fully.

It had been a long time since he had to do this.

"Ryoga, what happened?"

He turned slightly to face his father who looked as if he truly was his age, wariness and concern etched upon his features. Their cousin, Nanako stood at the door, also worried.

"I don't know. I heard her scream and came here as fast as I could," Ryoga said, glancing at his sister. Her whimpers had subsided, her body relaxing at the familiar movement of his touch. Thank Kami for that. "I found her thrashing, and you know what happened next…" He trailed off.

What had she been dreaming about?

Hazel eyes fluttered open, blinking sleepily.

"Nii-san? Tou-san? What - " She yawned. "What are you doing here?"

The two males exchanged glances.

"Just checking up on you," Ryoga said. It _was_ the truth, after all.

"Now go back to sleep, brat," Nanjiroh added with less bite than usual.

"Mmh…okay," Another yawn. "Love you all," she mumbled as she closed her eyes, snuggling into her covers.

Silence reined for a brief moment.

"I'll go make some tea," Nanako murmured at last, leaving the room.

"What should we do, tou-san?" Ryoga asked quietly, being careful not to wake his younger sibling up.

Nanjiroh didn't speak for a while, but when he finally spoke, they were merely three simple words.

"We'll talk later."

"Aa."

The two watched over the youngest Echizen for several moments more before silently making their way towards the door.

Just before he closed the door behind him, Ryoga took one last glance at his sister, murmuring under his breath.

"Sleep well, chibisuke."

**==XXXXXX==**

_It had been __**that dream.**_

Reika awoke with a gasp, heart pounding rapidly in her chest.

_Not again…._

She winced as she painfully shifted into a sitting position. Kami, for some reason her body ached, as did her muscles. Taking a deep breath to clear her mind, she deduced that she must have been thrashing again the night before.

Her eyes couldn't help but drift towards the small, pink scar on her wrist that taunted her every day.

_Coward_.

Swallowing, the girl closed her eyes and reined in her emotions before snapping them open. Carefully, with a hiss, she swung her legs out of bed and onto the floor. Standing up, she padded over to the bathroom and proceeded with her standard morning routine.

The female Echizen headed down the stairs and into the kitchen where she was greeted by Nanako, her brother and father as per usual.

"Morning," returned the tennis prodigy as she took a piece of toast from a plate on the table, biting into it. She chewed and swallowed, oblivious to the looks the others were exchanging in her distracted state.

"I'll be going now. I'll see you all later," as she was about to leave, Ryoga stopped her.

"Nii-san?" asked Reika, confused.

He studied her carefully for a moment, before finally speaking, "Are you okay?"

Feeling more confused than ever, she answered, "I'm fine."

"…I'll see you later. Take care." With that, he smiled crookedly, ruffled her hair and left, ignoring the exasperated look she gave him.

Brothers.

**==XXXXXX==**

The female Echizen had completely forgotten that it was clubs and societies week.

Reika sighed, feeling quite out of her depth as she took in the surroundings consisting of the booths and stalls around her.

Somehow, it turned out to be a clubs and societies _carnival_.

As far as she could see, booths and stalls were scattered on both sides. Every type of food and beverage – Western, Italian, Chinese, Malaysian and _more_ – emitted deliciously mouth-watering aromas, wafting across the occupied area. Students milled around with interest, some stopping by at certain stalls attired in their uniforms.

"Must be Atobe's doing," Haru shook his head in amusement as the storekeeper opposite them called out the name of his wares, catching the attention of a group of passing students who was then engaged in conversation.

"Of course. Who else could it be? It's _Atobe_," Besides him, his sister's lips twitched. "What did you expect?"

"True enough," conceded her brother with amiable cheer. "But anyway – what clubs are both of you thinking of joining?"

"Tennis and cooking, I think," The brunette female said thoughtfully, missing the change in Reika's expression that Haru noticed. "I do like food." Haru and Reika snorted at that comment. "Like" was an understatement. "And Ayame has been after me for doubles," sighed Hikari. "Her notwithstanding, well…it would be nice to play again after my hiatus." A wry smile came across her face then.

"Why did you stop?" inquired the curious golden-eyed girl despite feeling apprehensive about their current topic. A dark shadow flitted over Haru's face so fast that the girl wondered if it was real.

She couldn't help it. Reika knew she shouldn't had asked, seeing as she herself had secrets of her own and not to mention their reactions. But inside, a part of her wondered...

Was Hikari like her?

"Ri, you don't have to - " began her twin but Hikari interrupted him, putting a hand on his arm with a smile so gentle but yet contained a bittersweet twist.

"It's a long story," she said softly. "One that I'll tell another time."

"Sorry," apologized Reika. "I didn't mean to bring up a sensitive topic."

"No worries. You didn't know." Her smile changed then, to one of cheerful warmth and the sun. "Now come on, there's a lot we haven't seen yet. I want to try out some of the food."

Hikari, to the tennis prodigy's amusement, despite her willowy stature, loved food – fusion, in particular. With the amount of food she could eat if she really wanted, she was _extremely_ lucky in the fact that she had a high metabolism.

She and Haru watched, bemused as the girl bounded off towards a stall selling Malaysian food and started chatting with the owner who had an amused expression on her face while her male counterpart served another customer.

"Reika," said Haru suddenly, making her turn to face him with a questioning look.

"What is it?"

"Thanks for not forcing her to tell you about it," he smiled – it wasn't his perpetual easygoing expression, but… a grateful one.

"It's okay," she returned his smile. "You and Hikari have done a lot for me ever since I started here. It's the least I can do."

"Well, we _are_ pretty awesome," Haru said _oh-so-modestly_ as the girl resisted the urge to facepalm.

"Guys?"

Reika yelped, startled as Hikari popped up seemingly out of nowhere, holding what looked to be skewered meat laden with sauce on a plate. Haru, on the other hand snickered at her, making Reika stick out her tongue.

Hikari rolled her eyes at them as she chewed on the meat on the stick she was holding, and then swallowed before speaking, "Honestly, you two…"

The aforementioned two gave her looks.

"What're you eating?" asked Reika.

"Satay," answered Hikari. "It's grilled meat, usually served with a sauce. Which in this case, is grilled chicken and sweet peanut sauce. It's _amazing._"

"Want one?" offered the girl.

Hesitant but curious, Reika took one and bit into it, eyes widening at the burst of flavours on her tongue.

"Oh wow."

"I know, right?"

Haru shook his head, amused as they started making their way through the crowd, "You _do_ know that we aren't here for the food, don't you?"

"It's not like we can avoid it though," logically pointed out his female counterpart, gesturing to their surroundings as a wide variety of aromas assaulted their senses. "Though you do have a point." Hikari said a tad sheepishly.

"We'll sign up first," decided the brown-haired girl before adding after a moment.

"And _then_ eat."

Haru snorted in amusement.

"Glutton."

"Am not – okay, _maybe_ I am," Hikari admitted, slightly sheepish.

**==XXXXXX==**

**A**tobe Keigo took a surreptitious glance around as he basked in the attention of the enthusiastic crowd in front of their booth. Simultaneously, Oshitari was patiently tending to some eager freshmen's questions about tennis, charming smile in place. Jirou was snoozing on a nearby bench while Kabaji stood guard and Gakuto muttered under his breath, perched on a tree branch (he never really liked crowds) and snarking at them. Choutarou, with an _extremely_ reluctant, scowling Shishido (who was _totally not hovering, damn it!_) and four first-year members of the club had been enlisted to aid with the registration, and a few more with crowd control.

Beside them was the girls' team's booth with Tsukino Miyako at the helm, directing a few members with crisp, clear instructions. Canadian-born Saito Ayame, a striking girl with silky amethyst locks and easygoing nature, together with Elena Winters, a transfer from the United Kingdom but of American descent were handling registration with some help from two other sophomores. Xiu Ying, a lithely built Chinese with a love for sports was conversing animatedly with an amused Gabrielle Rossi, an attractive, dusky-skinned brunette.

Atobe could feel himself wanting to frown as he realized there was one member missing.

_**Her.**_

"_It's a promise!"_

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts and smiled at the crowd.

But if one peered closely, to someone who knew him very well, he or she would _know_.

That it wasn't as bright as before.

**==XXXXXX==**

**S**aito Ayame's thoughts drifted to her.

"_We'll be number one!"_

A fond smile touched her lips as she remembered _those_ times. Those happier, joyful times. The times when Miyako smiled more and her smiles reached her eyes, when all of them had fire in their hearts… When there was a lot more laughter and a lot more joy.

She just didn't –

"Ayame!"

The purple-haired girl blinked, clearing her thoughts away to see Elena looking at her, concern in her emerald eyes.

"You okay?" asked the short-haired strawberry blonde.

She smiled sheepishly, "Sorry. I got lost in thought."

"You were thinking about those times, weren't you?" asked Elena quietly.

Ayame shrugged in reply.

"Do you know if she's coming back?" The emerald-eyed girl posed the question hesitantly. "Or, at the very least, thinking about it."

A few feet away, Tsukino stilled for a moment, before gathering her composure and resuming her duties.

"…I don't know. I did ask, though," came the soft reply as she sighed. Gabrielle and Xiu Ying had made themselves discreet. They knew some of what happened, of course. But not everything. The two of them hadn't been as involved as **_they_** had been.

"You never changed, did you, Ayame?" came a familiar, amused voice.

Ayame whirled around in her seat, startled but shook her head, smiling warmly when she saw who it was.

"Hey, Hikari."

The brunette smiled faintly, "It's been awhile." Her twin stood beside her protectively, an inscrutable expression on his face as he nodded to her in acknowledgement.

"Just a bit," she shrugged. She didn't fault him for his protective behaviour, couldn't, really, because –

"Hikari." Came their captain's voice, containing a rare hint of surprise. It seemed that Tsukino had finished conversing with some of the general members already.

"Tsukino," Hikari dipped her head in acknowledgement, her voice neutral. Beside her, she could _sense_ Haru's tension. She reached her hand out to his and squeezed it briefly, letting him know that it was okay – that _she_ was okay.

The other members, Xiu Ying and Gabrielle were discreet in their interest as they pretended that there was nothing happening. Ayame's gaze shifted between the three, whether it was nervousness or not it was hard to tell. Elena held her breath, waiting.

It was a long, long moment before anyone spoke.

Hikari drew herself up, taking a deep breath.

"I want to sign up."

**==XXXXXX==**

**E**chizen Reika frowned as she resisted the urge to facepalm.

It seemed that she had lost track of the twins, much to her annoyance.

Considering the size of the crowd, though, it wasn't surprising that she had. But _still_…

Thankfully, they had a meeting point. That was, unfortunately for her, the tennis booth as Hikari had already signed up for the cooking club, the foodie that she was. Haru, on the other hand, opted for dance and was debating on either the student council or soccer for his second club.

As for her, well, she had already joined the music club, but –

"Watch it!"

Jolted out of her thoughts, she felt herself being roughly pulled out of the way as a cart came out of nowhere and barely missed her. She turned around to see a familiar male with a blue cap, clear exasperation on his face.

"You're…Shishido Ryo, right? From the tennis team? "

He nodded.

"Thank you."

Shishido shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. "You should watch where you're going," he informed her dryly. "Death by a running food cart is just _not_ the way to go."

Her lips twitched as she fought back an amused grin and raised an eyebrow, "Really? I always thought it would be at least an interesting one."

"You clearly have no imagination," he deadpanned.

"Well, you clearly have no sense of humour."

"Says the one who almost got hit by a running food cart."

"Jerk."

"Idiot."

"Moronic - "

**==XXXXXX==**

**A** brief hush fell over the crowd as bickering was heard, and out emerged the unlikely pair of Shishido Ryo and Echizen Reika who were arguing over something, oblivious to the crowd.

"At least the protagonist is decent. Better than - "

"_Absolutely not_. I mean, did you take a look at the storyline? No, just no."

"Fair point. But the combat system, though!"

Oshitari cleared his throat. Upon receiving their attention, he adjusted his glasses, "If the two of you are quite finished… Echizen, I believe the Miyamoto twins are over there," The tensai gestured to his left. "Shishido, Atobe wants to talk to you about something."

"Unless, of course, if the two wish to continue, I am sure that we can lock the both of you in a room." He smiled pleasantly.

Shishido gaped at him as his face turned red, before sputtering out protests while Oshitari continued to smile. Giving it up as a bad job, he muttered a hasty goodbye and left to find Atobe at a speedy pace. Echizen's cheeks flushed red as she muttered something incomprehensible under her breath and beat a hasty retreat to find the twins.

Pleased with himself, the bluenette smirked, congratulating himself on a job well done.

It was just too easy.

**==XXXXXX==**

"Finally!" Hikari exclaimed. "What took you so long?"

"Lost track of time. Sorry," Reika said apologetically, trying to push the thought of what the blue-haired tennis regular had said away. Her cheeks, she noted, were still warm. It was all his fault.

'_One of these days, I am __**so**__ going to prank him.'_ She vowed.

"Did I miss anything?" asked the green-haired girl.

"Nothing much," shrugged Haru. "Though, the tennis exhibition matches are going to begin soon. After that, there's a free session for those who want to test themselves against the regulars. You can choose to participate if you want. Purely friendly matches, really."

'_Friendly matches, huh..._' She couldn't deny it; she wanted to test herself against the Hyotei regulars. _'But…'_

"If I may have your attention," came an announcement. "The tennis exhibition matches are about to begin. I repeat, the tennis exhibition matches are about to begin."

**==XXXXXX==**

The matches were clean and swift, and obviously, all the regulars were holding back. But it was still an impressive showing as the style of each move made differed from individual to individual, ranging from clean to fluid and complex and embellished. Currently, Hikari and Reika watched as Haru (just for fun) finished his match with Choutarou.

"So _you're_ the tennis prodigy that people have been talking about," drawled an unfamiliar voice, getting the two's attention.

The one who had spoken was a tall male with tousled black hair and a haughty sneer on his face. Next to him was a dark-haired female with an expression of distaste as she spoke.

"_I_ heard that you refused to join the tennis club here. Think you're too good for us?"

"Of course not," Reika retaliated. As confident, and _slightly _- well, okay, or plain arrogant she could be at times she always kept true to herself. There was and would always be something to learn or improve on.

"Prove it then," the girl challenged as a crowd that had unknowingly gathered around them murmured. It seemed that Haru had spotted the two of them and was making his way through the crowd as fast as possible. Choutarou as well, as he spoke with a frowning Atobe who was approaching in long, brisk strides with the rest of the male tennis regulars behind him. Tsukino Miyako, with the rest of the girls' team were gradually making their way through the crowd in long, graceful strides. Hikari stood beside her, lending her support.

"A doubles match. Now."

Reika swallowed as her hands tightened into fists, clenching.

"I - "

A familiar hand clamped itself on her head, and ruffled her dark green locks.

"Yo, chibisuke."

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

* * *

><p><span>Author's Note:<span> Sorry, Choutarou fans, but Shishido just snuck his way into this chapter. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think.

P/S: To those of you whom I have not PM-ed in thanks for your review, I'll get to it ASAP. Hugs to you all!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** What's this? An update? It's a miracle that it didn't take a year for this one. This chapter practically wrote itself for the past few days despite my assignments looming over me.

But seriously guys, 154 faves and 211 follows? And not counting the amount of Author that I've been getting? Wow. Just...wow. You guys are awesome.

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Prince of Tennis.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: A Tentative Step<strong>

_"Take one step at a time_

_There's no need to rush_

_It's like learning to fly_

_Or falling in love."_

- 'One Step at a Time' – Jordin Sparks -

==**XXXXXX**==

**H**er body relaxed; the tension drained itself out of her body as she recognized the familiar touch.

"Nii-san."

The relief was clear in her tone as she looked up at her brother and leaned against him slightly, drawing comfort from his presence. A few feet away, despite the situation at hand, Hikari couldn't help but smile slightly, finding the moment between the two siblings adorable.

Reika's brother was tall, to say the least, with a lean, athletic build. The Miyamoto heiress estimated him to be about 5'11, and noted that there seemed to be an air of lazy confidence about him. Dark khaki pants paired with sneakers, an unzipped hoodie with a plain shirt underneath and (unusually enough for a male) a necklace, he had the phrase "sporty casual" down to a T. Tousled green-black hair framed a sharp but refined face with handsome features – high cheekbones, strong jaw…genetics must really run well in their family, Hikari mused to herself wryly, catching sight of a few girls starting to whisper among themselves and giggling. It was as if both siblings had been made for the camera.

"Whoever you are, it's none of your business," the sneering male barked. "So get lost."

The newcomer tsk-ed disapprovingly, "I'm afraid you're wrong about that." He paused for a moment, before smiling, his eyes taking on a hard, icy glint and his next words seemed to be dipped in frost.

"You see, I'm her brother."

The atmosphere thickened as the coil of tension in between increased.

"And I don't appreciate you harassing my sister."

"Aww, so sweet," mocked the girl. "The little girl needs protection from her big, older brother."

Calmer now, Reika's eyes flashed dangerously as she straightened her posture, momentarily forgetting her doubts. _That little – _

"Well, at least I'm not a _prissy little princess _with no life that has to resort to bothering others for entertainment," she retorted cuttingly as a taunting smirk spread across her face. "Not enough _toys_ at home, eh?" Satisfaction welled up inside her as she saw the girl's face flush in anger and embarrassment; some in the crowd started to snicker while Hikari tried to stifle her amusement.

"Now, now, chibisuke," started Ryoga, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Maybe it's not her fault, but _his_." While his tone was casually innocent, he was looking pointedly at the male whose face flushed crimson as it settled into a glower.

The glowering male lunged at the two –

And yelped painfully as he promptly landed hard on the ground.

"Roshi!"cried out the girl as she rushed over to him. Cradling his head on her lap, she shot them a glare which they returned with neutral expressions, both radiating an air of careless indifference.

"Idiot," snorted Ryoga as he lowered his fist to his side, unclenching it. "By the way, that was a good kick." He complimented his sister.

"Thanks, nii-san. Nice punch," said Reika as she dusted herself off and stood up from her previously lowered position.

"Reika…" sweatdropped Hikari.

Finding varying expressions of shock and amusement around, Reika raised an eyebrow. "What? Is there a problem?"

Being the overprotective parent he was, their father had insisted on them learning self-defence or martial arts (at the very least, the basics which soon became them taking classes for years) at a young age. The idea had gelled during the time of a parent-teacher conference and Nanjirou was forced to attend in place of the Echizen matriarch and her class teacher remarked on how pretty she was going to be when she grew up and how she was bound to attract boys.

Suffice to say, his reaction had been dramatic was an understatement as within less than 24 hours the over-protective parent had signed them both up for Muay Thai classes.

In Ryoga's case, he had been quite reluctant until Rinko gave him a sweet smile, and said that if he didn't, she'd ground him for life.

He had hastily agreed. The Echizen matriarch was scary when angered.

On a more serious note, Nanjirou had taken them both to the side once and spoke with them.

_"There may be a time when Rinko and I may not be there to protect you, or a time when both of you can only rely on each other," he said honestly. Despite his perverted nature, he **was** a good father and he did care – though he would never admit it and the two siblings would deny it vehemently. "So the two of you must protect each other and also be able to rely on yourselves."_

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Reika returned to the situation at hand.

"You - " snarled the girl tending to Roshi.

"_What on earth is going on here?"_ Came Atobe's voice in a low, dangerous tone as he and the rest of the regulars finally reached them, the crowd parting to let them through.

The pair who had initiated the confrontation gulped.

This was not the usual haughty but approachable (albeit dramatic) captain whom they were used to, but another side of him. This was the side of him that had _earned _him the name "Ice Prince" on the tennis courts, the side that garnered him a reputation as the _very _formidable heir to the Atobe empire in the sea of countless other elite (and the reputation was _still growing)._

To say that he was displeased was an understatement.

* * *

><p>Atobe took stock of the situation, taking note of Echizen's stance and position near whom he deduced to be her brother judging from his appearance, Miyamoto Hikari beside them and the pair in front of the siblings. His blue eyes sharpened, narrowing when he guessed what must have happened. His suspicions were confirmed when Miyamoto stepped forwards and started to speak.<p>

"Reika and I were watching one of the matches when they confronted us…"

When she finished recounting what had happened, Atobe took a moment to absorb the information.

"I see."

Turning, the Atobe heir eyed the instigators with cool indifference as if they were mere ants beneath his shoes, "Shiguya Roshi, Fukurou Maya."

The both of them flinched simultaneously.

"As the president of both the tennis club and student council, I _order_ the both of you two to apologize. Now." Any protests - impending or not were shot down by his hard stare and the two quickly complied, not wanting to raise any more of his ire and muttered their apologies.

"As for you… Shiguya Roshi," The male swallowed, seeing his irate captain fixate his cobalt gaze on him. "You nearly assaulted a guest on the premises. In accordance with Hyotei's policies, you can be rest assured that your parents and the coach will be hearing about this."

Reika stared.

Did he just whimper?

"Also, both of you are to meet me - "

"And me," Tsukino Miyako's impassive voice smoothly interjected from across the crowd as the emerald-eyed captain stepped forwards, smiling indifferently at the colour draining from their faces. Fukurou Maya in particular seemed as if she was wishing for a miracle to happen.

" – in the office in an hour. _Is that clear_?" His tone brooked for no argument; Reika wondered for a moment if it was possible for a voice to be _that_ icy. It was practically at glacial stage, if there was such a thing.

"But buchou - " Shiguya Roshi started to protest.

"_Shut up_, Roshi!" hissed the female beside him as she whacked him on the arm before turning to face the displeased Atobe heir.

"Hai," she muttered.

"Good. Now get out of my sight," commanded Atobe before turning back to talk to his team.

Reika let out a long, slow breath as the two instigators left the scene, though not before shooting her venomous glares. The coil of tension in her stomach loosened as her fists unclenched themselves and the rest of the tension left her body.

"You okay?" asked Ryoga as he turned to look at her, slight concern on his face.

"Yeah, I am." At her answer, he gave her a disbelieving look made her throw up her hands in annoyance. "Alright, so maybe not," she admitted. "But I _will_ be." Reika changed the subject then. "So, not like I'm not glad you're here, but what _are_ you doing here?" curiously asked the girl.

A knowing expression crossed his face but he allowed it, shrugging. "You forgot your lunch. Nanako asked me to bring it to you, but from what I've seen around here I don't think you need it." Ryoga sounded amused as he saw her expression.

"…what did she cook?"

Her brother smirked as he opened his bag and pulled out a wrapped bento, "Your favourites." His smirk widened as he tauntingly dangled it out of her reach. Damn his height.

She glared at her brother who looked completely unrepentant, "Give me my food."

"Nope."

"You okay, Reika?" interrupted Hikari's concerned voice as she approached them.

Reika turned to look at her friend, annoyance at her brother momentarily forgotten and smiled gratefully, "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks."

"Anytime," Hikari returned the smile before shifting her gaze towards Ryoga who was observing with interest. She offered him a smile as she bowed her head in greeting before straightening her posture.

"Hello. My name is Miyamoto Hikari. I'm Reika's classmate," the brunette introduced herself.

Ryoga made a face, "There's no need for bowing. It makes me feel old," he complained, lips curling into an exaggerated pout that made Reika roll her eyes and Hikari's eyes glinted with laughter.

"But you're Reika-san's _older_ brother," she pointed out with amusement. "So that technically already makes you 'old'."

Ryoga spluttered in protest at her argument while Reika snickered, and, seeing the opportunity, snatched the bundle of food from her brother.

Sticking her tongue out, she grinned, "Thanks for the food, nii-san!" She sing-songed as she high-fived her amused friend.

The tall male muttered under his breath as he eyed the smug brunette beside his sister for a moment, "You're good." He sounded reluctantly impressed; Hikari gave an exaggerated bow, amusing the two siblings greatly. Ryoga continued, "But one of these days, vengeance will be mine." He threatened jokingly.

Reika rolled her eyes while Hikari merely grinned, "You're on."

"Anyway, the name's Echizen Ryoga." His expression turned into a disarming grin as he offered a hand out for Hikari who returned the smile and shook his hand.

"Reika, Hikari, are both of you okay?!"

All three turned towards the source of the voice; it was Haru who was panting lightly. He looked as if he had sprinted from where he had been having his match with Choutarou.

"Sorry, I tried to get here as fast as I could as soon as I saw what was happening but the crowd was too dense," apologized Haru.

"Don't worry about it," reassured the hazel-eyed girl. "We're fine. Anyway, this is my brother." She gestured to her sibling.

"Echizen Ryoga," Ryoga drawled as he tilted his head in acknowledgement, studying male brunette.

"Miyamoto Haru, Hikari's twin," returned Haru unflinchingly as he met the other's scrutinizing gaze directly in challenge.

Realizing what was happening between both of them that was a battle of wills and testosterones, the two girls sighed in unison.

Brothers.

"Echizen."

Blinking in confusion, Reika turned to see Atobe and Tsukino with some of their team members respectively.

"Atobe-san? Tsukino-san?"

Atobe dipped his head in acknowledgement as he spoke, "On behalf of the club and Hyotei, I would like to make a formal apology in regards to the conduct of one of my members." His displeasure at his member's conduct was subtle, but present. He turned towards Ryoga, "It was most definitely unprofessional and undeserved."

"Mine as well," added Tsukino. "You can be rest assured, that she will be punished…accordingly." The girls' captain's lips curled into a very, very slight smirk that made several others unconsciously swear to not ever, _ever_ get on her bad side.

"Accepted," inclined Ryoga neutrally as he studied the newcomers.

"Buchou…." sweatdropped a strawberry blonde beside her.

Hikari sighed, shaking her head, "You're going to give her the weights marathon aren't you?"

Reika almost choked at her words.

_Weights marathon?!_

Ryoga raised an eyebrow and decided that he absolutely did not want to know.

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Tsukino mused and nodded towards Hikari. "Perhaps I shall give her the regulars' version…" the captain of the girls' team trailed off thoughtfully.

The strawberry blonde-haired female besides her groaned as she looked at Hikari, "You've done it now."

"Sorry, Elena," the girl said sheepishly while 'Elena' sighed.

Seeing that brief interaction, Reika wisely decided to not ask questions.

A light cough broke the lull in conversation. "I would like to reiterate that you are welcome to the tennis club," The Atobe heir smoothly cut in. "The rumours, I assure you, are entirely false."

He then nodded briskly, "Well, that is the end of it. Miyamoto, Echizen, if you will excuse me." Atobe gave another, but slighter nod as he turned on his heel to leave, Kabaji at his side.

"Take care of yourself, Reika-san." Choutarou smiled as he gave a bow before following after his captain.

"Stop getting into trouble," grumbled Shishido in exasperation as he gave Reika a pointed look that garnered him a defensive reply.

"It's not like I ask for it."

"Of course not," deadpanned the tennis regular. "It just follows you."

"It does not - " started Reika in protest.

The cap-wearing male fixed her with a deadpan look and drawled out his next words.

"Food. Cart."

"….I hate you," informed Reika to a now-smirking Shishido.

Still smirking, he lifted his hand in a lazy wave and trudged off after his teammates.

An awkward silence descended then.

"Oh, right," suddenly spoke Hikari as she remembered something. "I haven't introduced you guys yet." Gesturing to the strawberry blonde, she spoke, "Reika, Ryoga-san, this is Elena." The blonde gave a friendly nod. "Gabrielle." The dusky-skinned female smiled in greeting. "Xiu Ying." The Chinese female waved, grinning. "And, of course - "

"I am Tsukino Miyako, the captain of the girls' tennis team," Tsukino calmly introduced herself.

Reika stole a glance at Hikari who seemed utterly unsurprised at her self-introduction.

"Echizen Ryoga; I'm the brat's elder brother," Ryoga introduced himself, completely unabashed as he smoothly evaded the elbow jab from his annoyed younger sister.

Tsukino's lips twitched in amusement while Elena looked as if she was trying not to laugh. Xiu Ying was grinning, looking thoroughly entertained whereas Gabrielle shook her head at the antics.

"A pleasure," inclined Tsukino with a tilt of her head.

"Miyako, we need to get going," reminded Elena as she glanced at her watch. "It's almost time for clean-up."

The girls' team captain nodded, "Very well." She paused briefly. "Oh, and Echizen…let us have a match one day."

"Don't forget me!" interjected a cheerful Xiu Ying. "I've heard a lot about you. It would be a waste if I don't test my skills against yours."

And with that, they left.

**==XXXXXX==**

_Later that night…_

**R**eika stared up at the ceiling, deep in thought.

She couldn't sleep.

The events of the day had thrown her for a loop, to say the least. When her father had found out what happened at dinner as Ryoga recounted what happened earlier, he had not been pleased. It was only when the reactions of the two captains' and impending punishments for the instigators had been brought up that he subsided, reluctantly relenting.

Never let it be said that Echizen Nanjirou did not care about his children.

Nanako, on the other hand, had given the younger girl a brief hug and wished her a good night's rest. Ryoga had ruffled her hair, much to her annoyance and resignation as she sent him a half-hearted glare which he returned with a smirk.

"Meow~"

The girl yelped in surprise as she was jolted out of her thoughts. Adjusting her position, she looked around and whispered.

"Karupin?"

Another purr, and a fond, exasperated smile crossed the teen's face as the mattress shifted and she made out a familiar lump beside her.

"Silly cat." Reika murmured softly, reaching out a hand and patted Karupin on the head lightly.

A sudden thought occurred to her then.

She quickly performed a mental calculation, hesitating momentarily before reaching out with her free hand to grasp around for her phone.

It took her a while, but she finally managed to secure it.

_'Maybe I shouldn't,' _thought Reika as she unconsciously typed in her pin code. _'It's been months. After all, what's to say that - …_'

The lock-screen dissolved with a click, breaking her reverie. She stared at her phone uncertainly for a moment, biting on her lower lip before finally making her decision.

Reika gathered her nerves, dialled and hit the call button.

_Rrring._

_Rrring._

_Rrring._

_"Hello?"_

Inhale.

Exhale.

"Hey," she greeted softly.

There was a short silence before the voice spoke.

_"…__…__Reika?"_

"Yeah."

Silence reined briefly once more before she managed to get her words out.

"Do you have time to talk?"

* * *

><p>In a dorm room in America, Kevin Smith leaned against his chair and stole a glance at the clock, debating internally with himself. His gaze then drifted back to the pile of books in front of him. He had to study, and besides, hadn't she been the one who had chosen to close herself off?<p>

A flashback flickered through his thoughts.

_"Leave. Me. Alone!" Each word was punctuated with frustration; tears glinted in her turmoil-filled eyes._

_"Why…why won't you just leave?"_

_"I hate you."_

It would serve her right, wouldn't it?

Kevin was tempted. Ridiculously so. It was, he mused wryly, _extremely_ tempting to hang up and forget this call ever happened.

But…

Unwittingly, unconsciously, his eyes slid over to the photo frame on his bedside table and memories flooded his mind. Memories of all the times before her death.

He let out a long, slow breath.

"Give me a moment."

A sigh of relief.

"_Thank you._"

The blonde got out of the chair, stretching as he crossed over to the window seat lined with cushions. Plopping himself down on the seat, he made himself comfortable and finally spoke.

"So…" He trailed off for a moment. "What's wrong?"

* * *

><p>Time flew as the girl spoke.<p>

When she finished, he sighed.

_"Reika, you need to talk to them,"_ he said. _"They need to know, and you need to stop hiding."_

"I'm not - "

_"Yes, you are,"_ sharply cut in Kevin. _"Don't give me this bullshit, Rei. I know it. You know it. **You're hiding.**"_

He continued, _"You're hiding because you don't want to worry them. You think that if they know, they'll look at you in disgust and wash their hands off you. You think you've troubled them enough."_

_"You hide, because it's easier for you."_

The girl had no response, because what could she say when it was all true?

A sigh. _"Look, I have to go. But ask yourself this, Rei. Would she be happy seeing you like this?"_

"…I'll think about it," said Reika at last. She hesitated for a moment.

"Kevin?" Oh, how she hated the fact that her voice trembled. Tentative.

_"What is it?"_

The words tumbled out of her mouth.

"You know I never meant to…"

'_I never meant to hurt you,' _was what she wanted to say, but her voice couldn't seem to form the words.

"..to do it, right?" She trailed off. "I…I'm sorry."

A long pause took hold; there was so much to say, wealth of unspoken words and meanings waiting to be made known and bridge the chasm between.

His next words came then, quieter.

_"Go to sleep, Reika. Take care of yourself."_

With that, he hung up.

Reika placed her phone back on the table, feeling an odd mixture of lightness and regret, hurt and understanding.

"I'm sorry."

Her whisper echoed throughout the room.

* * *

><p>Kevin stared at the phone in his hand for several moments as her words reverberated through his mind.<p>

_"I'm sorry."_

That…had been unexpected

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, the blonde got up and tossed his phone onto the bed.

He couldn't afford to be distracted.

After all, he had exams to study for.

==**XXXXXX**==

_The next day, after school…_

**R**eika gathered her courage, taking a deep breath. Kevin's question had been on her mind all day, causing her to be distracted in class and the twins to be concerned. It had taken her several times to placate them, she smiled wryly, shaking her head at the thought of their antics. Though, she was grateful to have such good friends.

His words from yesterday echoed throughout her mind again.

_"Would she be happy seeing you like this?"_

She knew the answer, of course. She knew it very well.

How could she not?

_'Your fault, it's all your fault~'_ sing-songed the voice from a corner of her mind.

Enough was enough.

_Shut up already!_

She was Echizen Reika, dammit, and she was better than that.

Spotting the ever familiar figure, the girl took a step forwards and gradually approached him.

"Tou-san?"

**-XXXXXXX-**

Echizen Nanjirou looked up from his magazine to meet his daughter's gaze.

For once in a long time, she seemed…a tad lighter. More assured, more determined. Surprise flashed through him as he spotted extremely familiar items in her hands, though he said nothing.

The ball was in her court, after all.

"Yes?" He drawled slowly, raising an eyebrow.

She exhaled.

"Can we…"

Her hands trembled faintly before determination made itself known on her face and the words came. "Can we play tennis?"

It was all he could do to control his emotions as he forced his trademark smirk to appear.

"Let's see what you got, brat."

His smirk widened as she twitched, the beginning of an old fire starting in her eyes.

"Brat, am I? We'll see about that, oyaji."

He almost smiled.

It was a start.

**-XXXXXXX-**

Ryoga blinked as he felt someone tapping on his shoulder.

Turning around to see Nanako, he raised an inquiring eyebrow and slipped off his headphones.

"Follow me," his cousin urged.

Intrigued, he followed after her.

Five minutes later, it took him another few moments to recover his composure at the sight. Ryoga set down his stuff and grabbed a racquet.

"Oy, don't forget about me!"

**-XXXXXXX-**

A few feet away, Nanako smiled as she watched the three figures playing under the sun.

Her cousin had finally taken the first step.

It was going to be a long journey, but…

They would be alright.

* * *

><p><strong>End of chapter 4<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Well that's another one done. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	5. A Christmas Interlude

**Author's Note:** Because I couldn't not do a Christmas interlude :D

**Disclaimer:** Don't own Prince of Tennis.

* * *

><p><strong>A CHRISTMAS INTERLUDE<strong>

**[Pre-Rinko's Death]**

_'Life - the gift of nature. Love - the gift of life'_

- Unknown

**XXXXXX**

"Merry Christmas, everyone," cheerfully greeted Kevin as he entered the living room. He often bunked at the Echizen residence, at their insistence ever since they found out about his fath – _that_ man abusing him.

"Merry Christmas, Kevin," returned Rinko with a warm smile. "The others aren't up yet. Would you mind helping me set the table?"

"No problem, Rinko-san," the blonde responded as he went to the kitchen and started on his assigned task.

A large pine tree, beautifully decorated and standing tall in the Echizen's living room was the stunning epicenter of it all, a pile of colourfully wrapped presents lying beneath it. Despite their Japanese origin, this was one of the few Western traditions the Echizen family enjoyed partaking in – certain individuals such as Nanjiroh (despite his adamant denials) the most. Kevin himself enjoyed it, but it hadn't been the same since his mother's death and George Smith's descent into drinking.

The others started trickling in at the smell of Rinko's cooking – Ryoga, Reika and lastly Nanjiroh himself. The meal was filled with light-hearted bantering and laughter, with Nanjiroh having the time of his life embarrassing his two children with old stories and the said siblings trying not to kill him (not literally anyway), Kevin laughing at their predicament and Rinko finally putting a stop to her husband's teasing.

Eventually, they settled themselves around the tree and Ryoga was chosen to pass out the presents as knowing Nanjiroh, he would probably throw them to the recipient instead.

After trading presents, Kevin glanced at his watch and frowned, "Reika, it's almost time." He reminded her.

"That fast?" blinked the hazel-eyed girl. "Alright. Let's get our things and go then."

Five minutes later, the pair bid them goodbye before heading out the door.

When the door closed, the remaining Echizen family exchanged looks.

"She still doesn't know?" asked Ryoga in amusement.

"No."

Reika frowned, wondering where the both of them were going. Kevin had said that they were going to meet up with Ken and the rest, but it was now obvious that it wasn't the case. So what was it?

"Where are we going?" asked the girl finally.

"Not telling," replied Kevin with a mischievous smile, stifling a snicker at her annoyance.

"Kevin Smith - "

"Come on," he cut her off, twining his hand with hers and started tugging her along lightly. "We don't want to get separated. Just…enjoy it."

If Kevin had looked back, he would have seen a blush on her face.

"…Okay."

Strolling along the streets of New York, the pair bantered lightly though for the most part it was a quiet one and they simply enjoyed taking in the sight of New York decked out in Christmas decorations. They visited Brooklyn's Flea Market and Bryant Park's Winter Village before hitting the ice-skating rink there for a couple of hours.

Reika exhaled, a smile on her face, "This was fun."

And it had been. Sure, she enjoyed tennis and was the sporty type of girl, but it was nice to do this kind of thing once in a while. No training, no pressure from tournaments… Just pure fun.

"It's not over yet," said Kevin in amusement as they dropped off their ice skates. "There's still hot chocolate to look forward to."

The blonde couldn't help but laugh as she started dragging him away.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

A simple meal consisting of two mugs of hot chocolate, fresh sandwiches and pastries at a café and soon the pair was on their way back to the Echizen residence.

"Rei," he said as they neared her home, causing her to stop short.

"What is it?" Reika turned to look at him questioningly.

"This is for you," Kevin dug a package out from his bag and handed it over to her. "You can open it."

Reika blinked, but took it gamely and opened the package to see a black pendant with a silver music note entwined with a tennis ball.

"What - " She started to ask but stopped as realization dawned on her.

The girl smiled as she met his gaze, "Help me put it on?"

Pendant clasped around her neck, Reika hugged him, a soft laugh escaping her as she looked up at him.

"Thank you."

Kevin smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing a kiss onto her head.

"Merry Christmas, Rei."


End file.
